Arch-bound polysegmental packing ring



4.Ivune 6, 1944. H. 1'. WHEELER I .2,350,655

- ARCH-BOUND ,POLY-SEGMENTL PACKING RING Filed June 7, 1941 A ENTOR.

BY /M M2M Patented June 6, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Harley T. Wheeler, Dallas, '.[ex.`

Application June 7, 1941, Serial No. 397,049 e claims. (crass-21) This invention relates to an improved packing ring, and the chief object of its construction is that it may be made to perform as an adjustable orifice, and pressure choke.

Another object is that it is capable of resisting all of the pressure thrust of a fluid, by transmitting said fluid thrust asa fluid frictional contact to the moving surface, with a simultaneous reduction of said pressure.

Stillanother object is thatthe internal friction of a fluid may be used to reduce pressure Without actual contact of any packing or machine vparts.

Yet another object is that by using fluid friction for pressure reduction the friction loss is many times lower than possible with brous or other materials in contact with the moving surface. l

Another and important'object is that the de gree of pressure reduction can be varied at will by the operator.

A very important object is that by fluid pressure, a restricted counterow can be established within the structure, to prevent lodging of sand, or grit Within the sealing portions. Y

An object of great importance to late progress in air compression by rotary blowers, is that fluid injection into the adjustable orifices makes it possible to seal dry gases Vand corrosives by internal friction of fluids. l f

These objects together with others, will be described more in detail in thefollowing specicaton accompanied by the drawing, of which,

Figure segmental packing rings of this invention.

Figure 2 is an end View in cross-sectionof Figure v1. l l

Figure 3 is a side View in partial cross-section of an arch-bound poly-segmental ring;

Figure 4 is an end View in partial cross-section, along sections :1s-.1: and y-y of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the adjustable segments and arch of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the lower half of Figure 5 along section 6-6 of the latter.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic end View of the adjustable segments.

Figure 8 shows the extreme flexibility of any one segment.

Figure 9 shows the maintained relations of segmentsfafter wear.

Figure 10 shows permanent deformation of ring cross-section due to wear.

Figure 1l shows the pressure and thrust resolutions with the segmental ring assembly.

the

1 is a cross-section of a standardY stui'ling-b'ox, tted with the arch-bound'poly-- Figure 11A shows natural sine relations of en thrusts absorbed by the seal.

Figure A shows a conventional pressure regulating device, with which various functions of the poly-segmental rings maybe controlled.

The arch-bound poly-segmental packing ring is not only an improvement, it is an innovation in design, in that it consistently prevents contact of the movingshaft withthe packing and utilizes the internal friction of a fluid to reduce the impressed pressure. It should therefore be obvious that important requirements have been met, (l) long life of the packing Vdue to a very slight amount of wear, (2) a very small power loss because fluid friction generated in a thin film is` many times less than any contacts of chosen hard materials, and (3) the dependability vof action pressure reducing over long periods of time, which is necessary in present practice.

'Ihe use of this arch-bound type is at greatest advantage on rotating shafts, altho the designA `To explain these characteristics more in detail the accompanying drawings are now described.

.Figure l is the cross section of a conventional stuffing-box l,'housing for this example a rotatableshaft 2,-?and gland 3available with adjustable studs 4'.`

box I 'and shaft 2, seal 6 is held in shape endwise by .fittings 1, 1, and regulates the minor seepage coming thru the rings. demonstrate additional pressure level controls whichare possible at openings 9 and I0, by the attachment of the regulator of Figure A, which will be discussed elsewhere. Figure 2 is an end Viewl in cross-section along section 2-7-2 .of Figure 1. y

The, arch-bound packing ring 5 of Figure 3, for4 an example, is composed of a number of vindividual arcuate segments l2 circumferentially ar-Vr ranged, the inner faces forming a cylinderof approximately the diameter of the shaft to. be sealed. Between each segment is a small aper- Arch-bound poly-segmental rings 5, 5, 5 occupy the annular space between Lantern 8 is inserted to ture I3 which opens into a gap I3b also shown in Figure 4. 'Ihe series of segments I2 are operated on by pressure P in the direction shown and therefore have conical seats I2a on the downstream side which coincides with the face of arch I4. Arch I4 may be made solid or in true circle halves and has a clearance over the shaft within. The jacket II houses the assembly of multiple segments and the arch. As there is but a -single row of segments, these are preferably step-cut to form a continuous aperture I 3-I 3a, the intertting construction forming an impediment to flow of pressure fluid across the segmentl faces. This interfitting is not necessary, but adds to the efficiency. The gaps |317 are sealed off by the conical seat I2a against arch I4, andv anyv fluid 4so trapped is further confined by the flexible jacket I I,

Figure 5 is a top plan View of the segments I2 and arch I4, displaying the apertures I3a, the gaps I3b, and the intertting laps before described. Figure 6 is a plan view of one half of Figure 5, along line 6 6 of the latter, displaying the cylindrical contact face of the segments broken only by the apertures I3-I3a. Dotted line I3c indicates that the aperture need not be parallel to the shaft center line.

Figure 7 shows the design relations of the segments I2, circle II being. approximately the diameter of the shaft to be sealed with shaft center I'Ia. Periphery I8 is the outer diameter of the segment fitting the inner surface of jacket II.

The segments I2 of theY example are shown to have parallel sides but these may be non-parallel as sides I9, or 28 of Figure 8, and still perform substantially as do parallel sides. 'Ihe segments may also contact circle I'I at an angle as shown by 2 I, with or without parallel sides.

The extreme adjustability of individual segments is shown in Figure 8, segment 22 being Vout of radial alignment yet maintaining the relations of aperture I3a and gap I3b. This indicates any one segment may wear unduly without interfering Ywith sealing performance.

Figure 9 shows that due to substantially uniform wear of all segments the inner contact arcuate circle I'I is maintained as the segments receed from the outer original circle I8, aperture and gap relations remaining the same.

Referring to Figure 10, the original moulded size of the jacket I-I, dotted, shrinks assegments I2 wear off on the contacting faces. The reduced shape v23 has the same cross-sectional area as the original II, the area worn off ofthe segment I2 being replaced thru gland adjustment by compressing the flexible jacket around segments I2 and arch I4. This change is permanent after wear takes place, yet the relations of arcuate faces, apertures and gaps-remain constant, as is described by Figures 7 to 9 inclusive.

vlThe pressure fluid thrust relations of this invention, according to Figure 11,. disclose why the arch-bound ring consistently is an adjustable oricelwhich-will maintain a definite-setting, v:oradjustment. .Pressure fluid thrust PT acts in a. down-stream direction Yto push segments I2 `against arch Ill, therlatter held stationaryV by fixed position of the gland 3. All of the se'gments are simultaneously deflected in directionA A, resultantl R,away from. the contactingv surface 24 of the shaft, to increasethe .annularorifice'f25f The practical Ylimit' of this: movementisifthe i'exi-` bilityof the jacket Il", Yand its porosityas'regulated during construction.. .1, 1

To close the Aorifice' 2,5 mechanical pressureZ..

670" amp-le by value a.

is exerted by the operator in an up-stream direction which forces the segment I2 against the jacket II to move in direction V, resultant M, toward shaft 24. Thus there is present one automatic pressure thrust endeavoring to open the orifice 25, and the mechanically opposed regulating force effecting a definite position, which as an extreme is contact of segments I2 and shaft 24. It should be obvious that the orice 25 can be set at a position suitable for reducing the fluid pressure to meet requirements. The pressure reduction is accomplished by permitting a minute volume of fluid to flow across the faces of the segments, the internal fluid friction so I developed creating a counter pressure to P and Vestablishing a lower actual pressure P, below the segments.

Vties produce higher internal pressures, causing Liquids like cil having high viscosilarge pressure differentials P-P across the segments, and make the packing more efficient. The segment wear of this orifice is very slow, caused by th'ewire-drawing ofthe fluid passing thru gland- 3 is largely controlled by making the angle of the end fittings 1, 'I according to natural sine angles. For example if .707 of the end thrust is to be diverted toward shaft 2, a 45 degree angle would be chosen. The less the fluid thrust which seal 6 should divert against the shaft, the less 'the angles of fittings with a perpendicular to the shaft, the extreme limit of no diversion being 0 degrees with a maximum of degrees. For example in Figure 11A, the sealing force W diverted from downstream thrust T will vary, according to the natural sine of angle e.

Av valuable result of establishing counterflow may be obtained with these vadjustable orifice segmental rings in a stufIing-box, as demonstrated by use of the lantern 8 in Figure 1, and attachment of the pressure regulator of Figure A at point I0. Said regulator is a conventional typev having a body 26 thru which passes stem 2'I,automatically adjusted by spring 28 nesting against adjustable nut 29 and pushing against collar 30 in turn forcing stem 21 against a seat,

to throttle pressure .F to a lower value P plus a,

ACuunteriiowing means introduces thru the passage at point IILa fluid pressure which is greater than impressed pressurev P of Figure 1, for eX- 'Ifhus the higher pressure F whenthrottled down to P plus4 a,V and injected thru passage I0 causes an upstream flow counter tel impressed pressured), by Passing thru the orice m, an'd'by being prevented from passingl lll'. The pure. fiuid at higher pressure seals thepacking without'undue Wear and` seeps thru oriflce m to fend oif gritty particles and preventing them from entering any part of the seals by maintaining a constant lm of liquid at the point of entry.

Another result of importance is the sealing of dry gases, also corrosive gases, around rotating shafts, by proper assembly of my adjustable orince rings. The regulator of Figure A is attached at point 9, or IIJ, of Figure 1.

A iiuid such as water or oil is introduced thru the passage at point 9 at a pressure level of P plus a, slightly higher than impressed gas pressure P, to maintain a cloud of moisture before orice m. All of the orifices are preferably adjusted so as not to contact the shaft 2, seal 6 is arranged for high porosity with but slight deiiection of end thrust against shaft 2, and a mixture of gas and fluid allowed to slowly seep thru the packing assembly. It is thus possible to seal dry gaseswith vapours of various iiuids, Without any contact of packing parts with high speed shafts, a very valuable improvement for the late type rotary gas compressors.

The peculiarities of design are reflected in the construction of the rings. To form the jacket the first steps of the preferred method are shown in Figures 12 to 15:, a quadrilateral of flexible material 3| is folded along lines 32 to form folds 33, as shown by end View Figure 13. Then the folded sections 33 are bent at an angle as shown by Figures 14 and 15.

The degree of wear, the capability to withstand extreme heat or chemicals depends to a great extent on the choice of materials thru-out. Other factors such as the choice of angles of segment faces, the length of segments, the angle of the thrust taking seal, the amount of the interiitting of the segment faces and numerous other variations possible in the art of making and using this type of ring, are included in my idea, and I observe that the variation of such, to affect eiiiciencies, performance or applications, do not detract from my invention.

I claim:

1. A poly-segmental packing assembly including a plurality of segments, stepped edge surfaces on adjacent segments'to align thevsegments circumferentially, substantially parallel inclined faces at the ends of the segments, an

arch ring against which the segments abut, each segment having an open channel abuttingsaid ring to provide a channel for sealing fluid, land a jacket of deformable material enclosing said segments and ring so that fluid pressure applied to said jacket tends to confine the segments and feed them against said ring and the member being packed to provide a seal.

2. A poly-segmental packing assembly including a plurality of segments, stepped edged surfaces on adjacent segments to align the segments circumferentially, substantially parallel inclined faces at the ends of the segments, an arch ring against which the segments abut, each segment having an open channel abutting said ring to provide a channel for sealing uid, a jacket of deformable material enclosing said segments and ring so that fluid pressure applied to said jacket tends to conne the segments and feed them lagainst said ring and the member being packed to provide a seal, and means to apply a, iiuid pressure to the jacket.

3. In a rod or the like packing an assembly comprising a deformable jacket member of porous material, a plurality of circumferentially arranged segments and an arch support ring disposed in relatively movable position in said jacket whereby pressure applied in said jacket tends to feed said segments against the member being sealed, and means to allow a nlm of liquid to flow between said segments and the member being sealed.

HARLEY 'I'. WHEELER. 

